Hi Blog. I think we have an interesting opportunity to discuss issues of ethnicity vs. nationality in Japan, with the J media’s treatment of three recent Nobel Prizewinners.

The J media claimed yesterday that “three Japanese just won a Nobel for Physics”, even though one emigrated to the United States, has lived there for 56 years, and has worked at the University of Chicago for 40. From an American and Japanese standpoint he’s ethnically Japanese, of course (he was born and lived his formative years in Japan). But he’s certifiably American in terms of nationality (one assumes he gave up his Japanese citizenship, which would be required under normal circumstances as Japan does not allow dual nationality). That didn’t stop Japan’s media from headlining that “3 Japanese won”. TV program Tokudane just claimed as such minutes ago this morning. And as the Mainichi reported yesterday:

Japanese trio wins Nobel Prize for physics

Photo shows from left to right: Toshihide Maskawa, Makoto Kobayashi and Yoichiro Nambu.

Three Japanese scientists have won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering theory on elementary particles.

The three are Toshihide Maskawa, 68, professor at Kyoto Sangyo University; Makoto Kobayashi, 64, professor emeritus at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization; and, Yoichiro Nambu, 87, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Tuesday.

It is the first time in six years that Japanese have won the Nobel Prize. In 2002, Masatoshi Koshiba and Koichi Tanaka won their prizes in physics and chemistry, respectively. The latest awards have brought the total number of Japanese Nobel laureates to 15, with seven of them winning the accolade in physics.

Nambu won the prize for his discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics, while Kobayashi and Maskawa were commended for their discovery of the origin of CP violation — the breaking of the symmetrical law of physics. The three researchers contributed significantly to the development of theoretical physics as we know it today, leading to the first co-winning of the Nobel Prize by three Japanese.

Nambu introduced his idea on spontaneous broken symmetry into elementary particles theory in the 1960s, providing the basis for the standard theory of particle physics.

Kobayashi and Maskawa predicted the existence in nature of at least three families of quarks, in defiance to the then common knowledge of theoretical physics. Subsequently, their theory was proven right.

Nambu, who moved to the United States after the end of the war, joins an illustrious club of second-generation Japanese researchers in elementary particle theory, following the first-generation researchers in the field — the late Nobel laureates Hideki Yukawa and Shinichiro Tomonaga.

Both Maskawa and Kobayashi studied at Nagoya University under the instruction of the late Shoichi Sakata, who also helped Yukawa with his research.

The award ceremony will be held in Stockholm on Dec. 10. Half of the 10 million kronor (approximately 140 million yen) prize will go to Nambu, while the other half will be shared by Kobayashi and Maskawa.
ENDS
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=============================== As did the Yomiuri this morning in print on the newsstands. But they later published English headlines and stories to reflect 2 J and 1 A recipients.
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From left, Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Masukawa, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday

Two Japanese particle physicists were awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for discovering the origin of the broken symmetry that predicts the existence of at least three families of quarks in nature. It is the first time Japanese scientists have shared the same prize.

Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Masukawa shared the prize with Yoichiro Nambu, an American who discovered the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics…. (snip)

Japanese duo, American win Nobel in physics

Theoretical work in fundamental particles honored

STOCKHOLM (AP) Two Japanese and an American have won the 2008Nobel Prize for discoveries in the world of subatomic physics, theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday.Toshihide MasukawaMakoto KobayashiYoichiro Nambu

Japan-born American Yoichiro Nambu of the University of Chicago won half of the prize for discovering the mechanism called spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics.

Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Masukawa of Japan shared the other half of the prize for discovering the origin of the broken symmetry that predicts the existence of at least three families of quarks in nature.

In its citation, the academy said this “year’s Nobel laureates in physics have presented theoretical insights that give us a deeper understanding of what happens far inside the tiniest building blocks of matter.”

Turning to Nambu, the academy said his work has been “extremely useful.” It said in its citation that “Nambu’s theories permeate the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. The model unifies the smallest building blocks of all matter and three of nature’s four forces in a single theory.”

The so-called Standard Model is the theory that governs physics at the microscopic scale. It accounts for the behavior of three out of nature’s four fundamental forces: electromagnetism, the strong force and the weak force.

Gravity, the fourth force, has not yet been incorporated into the model.

The prize is “recognizing one of the most basic and fundamental aspects of existence,” said Phil Schewe, a physicist and spokesman for the American Institute of Physics in Maryland. “Nature works in strange ways, and these three physicists helped to explain that strangeness in an ingenious way.”

Nambu moved to the United States in 1952 and is a professor at the University of Chicago, where he has worked for 40 years. He became a U.S. citizen in 1970.

Kobayashi and Masukawa “explained broken symmetry within the framework of the Standard Model but required that the model be extended to three families of quarks.”

“The spontaneous broken symmetries that Nambu studied differ from the broken symmetries described by Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Masukawa,” the academy said. “These spontaneous occurrences seem to have existed in nature since the very beginning of the universe and came as a complete surprise when they first appeared in particle experiments in 1964.”

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So here’s the topic for discussion: Can you claim somebody as “ours”, as in “our countryman”, even if he no longer has your country’s nationality (or has clearly emigrated and taken on another nationality)? Or was it meant as “our ethnicity”? (which you can obviously never lose — but then I see both America and Poland cheering in the unlikely event that I ever get a Nobel.) Obviously the J media has made two different claims in J and E. What do readers think? What’s appropriate? Arudou Debito in Sapporo

I think we have some ammunition for an interesting
debate on nationality versus ethnicity. People
probably know that the Nobel prize in physics went to
three people of Japanese ancestry. In fact, when I
opened the Asahi this morning it said “three Japanese
win…” I didn’t think much of it, but was sort of
surprised when I looked at the news in English on my
computer and say the headline, “two Japanese and one
American win…” Actually, the Japan Times site has
this same article, taken from AP.

How strange. But the reason is pretty clear. One of
the winners (Yoichiro Nambu), was born Japanese but
took American citizenship in 1970. So according to the
Asahi Shimbun (and NHK news, I notice), he is
“Japanese” despite not having a passport (presumably).
Looks like Debito needs to get on TV and say “I ain’t
American, and he ain’t Japanese!”
ENDS

Just to add my own two yen, I think it would have to depend on the exact
wording they used. “日本人” as a term has no actual basis in law, so applying
it to somebody that grew up and was socialised here isn’t necessarily
incorrect (though given the amount of time he’d spent as an American Citizen
it could be construed as misleading).

People that do know better quite often refer to me as “British” or “a Brit”
and as long as they’re not being facetious, and they’re referring to my
being a product of a particular social background, then it honestly doesn’t
bother me. If they called me a “British Citizen” on the other hand (or meant
“British” in that sense) I’d generally correct them, but that rarely if ever
happens.

The writer even ponders whether a foreigner who came to Japan and won the nobel prize would be treated in the same way. At the end of the article one Japanese professor interviewed talks about the need to be more hospitable to foreign researchers by doing this like allowing dual citizenship.

Not only this, one of the new personalities on Asahi’s “Hodo Station” mentioned this last night. He said something like “it would be nice to have a foreigner come to Japan and win a nobel prize for Japan as this Japanese person has won one for America.” The host of the show Ichiro Furutachi didn’t know quite what to say and just ignored the comment.

I’m Irish and I have no intention of ever changing my citizenship but if I did I don’t think I would ever think of myself as being Japanese, American, Kiwi or whatever country I emigrated to. And to be honest, I don’t think that people those counties would ever really think of me as anything but Irish either.

An similar example of this situation is the British and Irish press’ treatment of Daniel Day Lewis. British media usually refer to him as a British actor and Irish media as an Irish actor. He was born and grew up in London but his parents were Irish. He has since changed his citizenship to Irish. So he has Irish blood and an Irish passport now so surely he is seen as Irish but does swapping a document really mean so much. Personally I don’t think so.

I think this whole thing is a non-issue really and people like you focus on it too much when we should spend our time more productively rather than manufacturing issues.

–Comment on the issue please, not on me. And if this issue is in your view a waste of time, then why waste your time commenting at all?

Well, my take on it is this: I agree with most of the comments here that not matter what citizenship one may hold, you will always be of your original ethnicity. Being Filipino-American doesn’t cancel out the “Filipino” part. I do think that what we are seeing here is a double-standard of sorts where Japan and its media seem quite content with embracing Japanese ethnicity when something of this nature happens, but at the same time repels that very notion if someone is not born on these shores. Brazilian-Japanese makes you Brazilian. Japanese-American makes you American. In other words, if your family record doesn’t exist here, neither do you. And this is the heart of the problem for most if not all NJ. However, like the commentator on Hodo Station, I hope this will be spark some debate as to the nature of current policies regarding Permanent Residency, dual Citizenship, etc. I was encouraged when a commentator on NTV’s morning program “Zoom In” pointed out the fact that one of the recipients is of American citizenship, and the fourth recipient (as revealed late yesterday) is an American resident. Perhaps we will hear more comments like this as the days go by. We can only hope.

The law is not nearly as important as identity. Mr. Nambu is both Japanese and American, so neither set of reporting is incorrect. I think the fairest thing would be to ask him how he defines himself.

I do think it would be unfair to apply a rule that you *have* to be referred to by your present nationality. Debito wants to be called Japanese, but there are probably other naturalized citizens who don’t see themselves that way (I wonder how Anthony Bianchi would answer the question, for instance).

Personally, if I ever naturalize, I don’t want the press calling me Japanese. It would be a correct description of my nationality, but not of my upbringing, my ethnic background or the culture with which I identify. All of these are more important, in my view, than which passport one carries: nationality is often a matter of convenience.

–Points taken. Problem is, is your identity really left up to you? If it were, there would be little truck from people like me. Usually, however, it is not — and part of the issue under discussion is whether or not a birth status (in this case ethnicity) automatically trumps the legal status (nationality). In the J media’s case in Japanese, it did trump. In the J media’s case in English, it did not. Meaning it was probably not left up to the individual to decide.

I wish it were up to the individual to determine, as you do too. In potentially overlapping cases such as these, this is something we should promote.

I notice Google news (AFP) refer to Yoichiro Nambu, as an Japanese-born American (JBA) which is obviously correct.

I do think if the Japanese press referred to Debito as American, this would be poor and depending on the context potentially racist. However if the Japanese press referred to this scientist as Japanese they were probably doing it from a position of pride and so I think it is fairly harmless, the British press tend to either get this kind of thing right or will refer to someone as British when they have naturalised to another country (of course British passport holders can maintain dual nationality).

In summary, I think this argument would get greater public sympathy and therefore traction if it was made where the Japanese media had mistakenly or carelessly referred to a naturalised citizen as something other than Japanese or America-born Japanese etc…

No harm in pointing it out the inaccuracy though!

PS I bet he never officially renounced his Japanese citizenship, I don’t know any Japanese who has taken another nationality that has (apparently Japanese immigration turn a blind eye – possibly an example of double standards).

I was watching the news (either Zoom In or whatever comes after that) this morning and they specifically mentioned that Nambu has US citizenship. At which point I too thought that it was a little odd to claim that three Japanese won the Nobel prize.

However, I can certainly understand the claim: from the Japanese perspective, being Japanese is not a matter of citizenship.

It’s been a while and surely someone else can correct me, but if I recall correctly, the original version of 国籍法 (around 1899 or so?) defined 日本人, but the revised version replaces that with 日本国民. That leaves 日本人 legally undefined and rather vague.

As your final column in your gaijin series suggests, native Japanese cling to a decidedly narrow view of themselves. This view is rooted not in the fact of our common humanity, but in myths, especially about race and ethnicity. Japan’s self-imposed isolation from reality and the world isn’t unique, just exquisitely nurtured.

What’s needed in this society is some consciousness raising on a massive scale. But I don’t believe most natives have the capacity or incentive to hoist themselves up to see beyond the wall of exclusiveness that they’ve constructed. The cultural indoctrination and peer pressure runs too deep. Until the presence of a large numbers of immigrants to Japan by their sheer inescapable presence actually force natives to deal with the identity issue, I have little confidence that the lot of we few non-Japanese (or Japan’s ability to contribute to the world, the two Nobel winners notwithstanding) is likely to change fundamentally anytime soon. Beyond economics, I don’t know what could trigger this “foreign invasion” and the resulting necessary climate of crisis. However, until then, it seems we are just chipping away at the edges of Mt. Everest.

Foreign researchers in Japan just need to be treated as equals with the other staff. That’s all. They (most) don’t want dual citizenship or any type of special treatment. They especially don’t want to be told “You are not a doctor in Japan” by their department head or other such comments. They don’t want to be relegated to copy proofing other researchers papers, or teaching post-grads English.

All these things happen though, so there’s no mystery as to why researchers don’t stay in Japan.

The Japanese media …. Three Japanese
The rest of the world … An American and two Japanese
I think this is quite natural.

If Debito wins the Nobel prize,
The Japanese media …. A Japanese
The rest of the world … An American

Is there a problem? Who’s hurting who?

–Continuing in the vein of self-determinism. For the record:
If it were me, I would say (and that includes to the rest of the world) that I won it as a Japanese. If they said I was a former American citizen, that’s fine too. But I would disavow being called an American. I’m not one. To me it’s an existential fact. But I can’t conceive why I’d ever get a Nobel, anyway...

It would be interesting to hear how these fellows view themselves. Without a doubt, self-identification and what culture you feel most influences your life are the most important aspects when considering questions of national identity. Look up Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory for a more scientific explanation.

I agree with much of what you say about Japanese society. I spent a few months there in the 1970s. However in this case, to call a person born in Japan “Japanese” seems like a normal expression. For instance the town of Martinez California is proud of Joe DiMaggio, even though he never played professional baseball there.

“British press tend to either get this kind of thing right or will refer to someone as British when they have naturalised to another country (of course British passport holders can maintain dual nationality).”

True, but ‘British’ isn’t an ethnicity. If you get British citizenship then you’re British, and as British as anyone else in the eyes of the law, and in a lot of society.

I wonder what would’ve been said if they had’ve done something else, say blown up a building. Would the Japanese press be so eager to claim him as one of their own…?

This reminds me of an amusing ‘issue’ in Australia- a not-insubstantial amount of successful ‘Australians’ are originally from other countries (especially New Zealand), like Russell Crowe. We’re happy to take the credit when they do great, but when they don’t…!

I disagree. In comparison with a lot of people here I haven`t been in Japan long at all.
However, As long as I don`t bring attention to the matter pretty much all people I meet assume I am either half-Japanese or born and raised here. I am white.

when I tell them how long I have been here they usually freak out (which is a reason I don`t like to talk about how long I have been here) so I just tell people either I was raised here or that I don`t really talk about myself. I am extremely bad at accepting homekotoba.

Like Debito says your identity is determined by how the other perceives you. However, you do have a say in their perception as I have outlined above.

It`s not that they KNOW who you are or are not. It is that they THINK they KNOW who you are or aren`t. That is the problem here I would argue. Debito is Japanese. I could not argue any other way. If an ethnic Japanese (or American) has a problem with that there is a problem with their perception. I am white, with Canadian citizenship. Others will look at me and among those people there will be one of the following reactions:`American` `Gaijin` `Gaikokujin` `Half` or `hakujin`

kimetukeru. That is the problem.

There is no such thing as a `real` Japanese or `real` American because it is all about perceptions. If you associate with Japan then tell people you are Japanese or whatever.

People who won`t accept you as you who say you are, are usually not worth dealing with anyway.

Luckily we have the capacity as human beings to changed our own perceptions and have a substantial impact on the perceptions others harbour.

The NHK news reported last night on this and showed an interview with Nambu (I believe) who commented about having received a congratulatory phone call from P.M.Aso. He stated that he didn’t really follow Japanese politics and that he didn’t know who Aso was. He said that he will probably take more care in future to know more about Japan and what goes on here. This doesn’t address the issue of Ethnicity or Nationality but I think it gives one a pretty good idea as to how Nambu views himself — either that or he is a doddering old absent-minded professor.

Congratulations to all the Nobel Prize winners, regardless of nationality, ethnicity and whatever the media wants to label them as.
Without wanting to rain on their parade too much, I was just curious how the Japanese media would react if a person like Nambu was arrested for a criminal act – what would they refer to him as in that situation? Would he be Japanese? American? “Nihon umare Amerika-jin”? I am curious.

–I have the feeling it would be like any parent when their kid gets in trouble. Husband to wife: “Well, he’s YOUR kid…”

Japanese identity. American Identity. These things were created and forged into the shape they take today. These things did not always exist as that do now. If you can`t understand that you are the mixed up individual (Although I am not exactly sure what you mean`t by that). Don`t think that epistemological concepts such as identity have existed as they do now since time immemorial. We created this world and we mold and change it.

To think that people here will never be able to change their perceptions or prejudice is just foolish and in a way stinks of a superiority complex. After all in the US and Canada Asian`s faced very similar barrier.

My friend`s grandmother emigrated to Canada around the 1930`s and although she spoke pretty much perfect english (because she went to a British acedemy in Hong Kong) there were tons of white people around to pretend all they could hear was `ching chong chong` coming from her mouth.

Lastly, why do you need *all* Japanese to accept you? Once you gain citizenship it is up to you to decide you are Japanese. If somone doesn`t accept that then just leave it at that.

If you identify with Japan then do like debito does and just say you are Japanese.

Hell, I don`t even have citizenship and I say I am Japanese all the time and because I have very dark eye colour and Jet black hair I get away with it all the times. If I use a Japanese name on the phone the person on the other line never has a clue that I am a `gaijin`.

Some people accept it some people don`t. A lot of the time I don`t have time to explain my life story so if somone asks if I am Japanese or Half or Umaresodachi or whatever I just say I am and leave it at that.

Just be who you wan`t to be, If somone has a problem with that that is their own loss. So long as it doesn`t involve legal matters, it shouldn`t depress you that there are some people who won`t accept you.

I am not sure if the point got across but I hope it did. I have barely spoken a word of english nor written very many sentences since I arrived here so it is pretty difficult to write…

I may not have been here for very long but I have kanken 2kyuu, nihongo nouryoku siken 1kyuu and a good enough kansai accent that as long as I use a Japanese name the person on the other line hasn`t a clue that I am actually a `gaijin` so I doubt that time is a matter at all in this situation.

The Japanese have so little to be proud of internationally in the way of scientific awards,
that it seems natural the press would emphasize his birth in Japan. But after living in
the US for forty years and adopting American citizenship (read identity), he is no longer
Japanese except in an atavistic sense. It’s kind of sad the press should stress he is a
Japanese, as if he shares the culture and values of a country he has not lived in for forty
years. I have lived in Japan 31 and feel more Japanese in my behavior and thinking
than I do as an American.

The award is award and we should appreciate their work instead of debating where they belongs to? If they received a award for the work which was initiated in Japan then I would say Japan should be proud of it. Even work is done outside Japan but as they are born and grown in Japan, Japan should be proud of it. So by any means Japanese should be proud!!! You call it Japanese born or Japanese it depend.
But if the person did not like himself called as Japanese then he can definitely take legal action against media.
Apart from that, it is fact that even after changing nationality, original identity, values and appearance does not change and in society you will be always identified with your origin. Due that you get lot of good and bad attention at every stage of life and some people achieve many milestone because they get advantage of not being same as others. And I am sure all there award winner must have received lot of attention due they are Japanese origin.
Same with me, I have to fight/argue for my rights even I am Japanese by nationality and Indian origin. At there same time I also have an advantage on being non-Japanese origin….
So bottom line is let the things be as they are… let people have some freedom to express.. including media until concerned people are fine!!

As an aside, one interesting quote:
「これまで受賞時の国籍（二重国籍者は出生国）で数えており、ルールを変えると混乱すると判断した。日本は二重国籍を認めていない。 」
If Japan were to have allowed multiple citizenship, then Nambu would not have needed to give up his Japanese citizenship and his win could have been counted for Japan. Time for a change, Japan?

“If the relativity theory proves accurate, the Germans will call me German, the Swiss will call me a citizen of Switzerland and the French will call me a great scientist.
If the relativity theory proves inaccurate, the French will call me Swiss, the Swiss will call me German and the German will call me a Jew”
– Albert Einstein

If I calculated correctly, Nambu spent the first 31 years of his life in Japan. I think it is fair to say that things that took place during this time must have helped set the foundation that brought him to where he is now. Japan taking pride in a even a former Japanese national is something I think is positive. Technically he is still Japanese, but Japanese-American. I would also venture to call him American or Japanese-born American. Perhaps this will actually convince some Japanese students to live abroad, change nationalities, while still making their country proud.

In Hawaii, people take great pride in pointing out that Akebono is “one of them.” Born and raised in Hawaii. I think they would refer to him as Hawaii/American-born or Naturalized Japanese. I don’t think we’d ever refer to him as simply Japanese. Sorry about that. On the Positive side, even though he is no longer an American citizen and lives in Japan, Hawaii still takes an interest in what he accomplishes.

I am a JET in Japan and I accidentally stumbled upon this entry while doing a search for American ethnicity. An seemingly innocuous comment on Facebook has spurned a deep discussion about how my Brit JET friends view American mainly as an ethnicity, and the Americans only see it as a nationality. A discussion just as interesting and tenuous, but not related to Japan.

I saw on a news flash yesterday that a 16 year old figure staker with both Japanese and American nationality will be representing the USA in the winter Olympics. I wonder how much the Japanese media will be claiming her as one of theirs if she wins. (And, alternately, how much they will be denying if she loses big)